Combined commanders` meet skips issue of 3 new joint commands

New Delhi: In the absence of consensus, the combined conference of commanders of the three Services on Friday skipped the issue of raising three new joint commands for Special Forces, cyber security and aerospace.

It will take some time before evolving a consensus on the creation of these commands and therefore it was not taken up by the meeting today, sources said here.

A lot of discussion is still required among the armed forces to work out on the command and control issues and their structure, they said.

The creation of the three commands is part of efforts to increase coordination among the three Services by the Defence Ministry and to avoid duplication of their resources.

The three Services have had differences over the creation of the Space Command and objections have been raised by the other two services over the leadership of its command being handed over to the Air Force.

At present, the three Services have separate space cells.
Recently, the IAF and Army were also at loggerheads over control of attack choppers when the Defence Ministry intervened and decided in favour of the latter.

The differences on the issue were made public by the IAF when its Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne said his force had rejected the Army`s demand in this regard saying the country cannot afford to have these "little air forces" growing up to do their own things.

At present, the armed forces have three tri-services commands in place which are commanded by the three armed forces in rotation.